Bistecca alla fiorentina

September 7, 2010

The end of summer makes me a little sad. When we had really nice weather over Labor Day weekend, I couldn’t resist a grilled dinner extravaganza. This grilled rib eye is a simple variation on Tuscan steak, full of flavor from fresh herbs and lemon.

You will need:

3 rib eye steaks, 1 1/2-inch thick

3 large cloves garlic, cut in half

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lemon

3 T fresh basil, minced

1 1/2 T fresh parsley, minced

3 T butter, at room temperature

Then you…

Dry the steaks off. Rub both sides of each steak with half of a garlic clove, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate 1 hour for flavors to meld. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

Prepare a medium-hot grill. If using charcoal, split the grill and have one hotter side and one low heat side. Start the steaks on the hot side and grill until seared, roughly 5 minutes.

Flip the steaks and sear on the other side another 5 minutes. Continue cooking on the cooler side of the grill if you like your steaks closer to medium. (120 degrees will be rare, 125 is medium-rare, and 130 is medium).

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting. Steaks will continue to cook slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the softened butter with the minced herbs.

Slice the steak on the bias into 1/2-inch thick slices. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the steaks and top with the herb butter.